Jamaica

JAMAICA
3. Disaster Preparedness -and.Aesistance
The Preparedness and Emergency Operation ranch--works..directly.with- ­
the national ministries, Parish Disaster Committees, and voluntary
organizations to develop and maintain assessments of risk and vulnerability,
resources available for relief, and communications systems to
ensure continuous contact before, during, and after an emergency. Preparedness
and Operations staff travel throughout the island to work with
the local Parish Disaster Committees in developing a comprehensive
coordinated plan for providing local relief. This decentralized approach
is designed to ensure that the local community will be able to meet their
immediate needs during-the first 72 hours of a major disaster, the-period'
during which national relief agencies may be unable to reach the area.
The Public Education and Training Branch is engaged in an ongoing
program to educate the national population about the dangers and risks
associated with the various disasters to which Jamaica is prone, and to
inform them of preparedness and mitigation measures they can take to reduce
these risks. Programs in the local schools, civic associations, and
voluntary agencies use films, speeches, and training materials to promote
awareness of the hazards, the need for preparedness, the meaning of early
warnings, and practical measures to improve the safety of the population.
ODP maintains detailed inventories of the resources available throughout
the country for disaster relief operations. See section 3.4, Host
Resources.
Ministry Plans
The emergency relief operations of the various ministries would be
coordinated through the National Disaster Committee during a national
disaster. However, individual ministries have been encouraged to develop
emergency command centers and procedures for activating the centers during
the critical phases of emergencies. The Ministry of Health has developed
such a plan. Other ministries with a potential role during emergency
situations, i.e., Construction (Housing & Public Works), Public Utilities,
National Security, and Local Government, have developed ad hoc methods of
addressing these situations. The Directorate of Housing in the Ministry
of Construction maintains a large store of prefabricated housing construction
supplies which could be dispersed if necessary. The Directorate of
Maintenance produces a monthly report on the national distribution and
condition of all its equipment (trucks, front-end loaders, rollers,
graders, pick-ups, etc.).
Parish Plans
Each parish in Jamaica has established a Parish Disaster Committee
which is composed of: the Mayor; Deputy Mayor; Parish Councillors;
Secretary; Senior Police; Fire Brigade; Medical, and Poor Relief Officers;
the Superintendent of Roads & Works; the Parish Managers of Central
Government Ministries; and representatives of voluntary agencies active in
the parish; the private sector, ham-radio and CB radio clubs or operators,
and the Jamaican Information Service. Each Parish is developing a parish
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